Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has signed an executive order to take the first step in order to get rid of the state’s full name, which includes the word “plantations,” the New York Post reported on Tuesday.
The "plantations" part of the state’s full name — The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations — and its connotation of slavery has come under increased criticism following widespread demonstrations after the killing of George Floyd while in police custody.
The executive order will change the name in official communications from the governor’s office to just "Rhode Island" and calls on all executive agencies in the state to remove "plantations" from their websites.
However, the executive order does not permanently change the state’s official name, something which can be done only if voters amend the Rhode Island Constitution through a referendum.
After the Rhode Island Senate last week passed a measure calling for a vote on the name change by residents, the state legislature has indicated it will go ahead with the referendum.
Harold Metts, the state senator who introduced the bill and who is Rhode Island’s only black senator, said in a statement to the Providence Journal that “Whatever the meaning of the term ‘plantations’ in the context of Rhode Island’s history, it carries a horrific connotation when considering the tragic and racist history of our nation.”
A previous attempt in 2010 to change the state’s name was unsuccessful when 78% of voters opposed a constitutional amendment removing "Providence Plantations" from the official name.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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